EBC Newsletter – October 29, 2025

The EBC was pleased to join theEuropean Cocktail 2025 on 23 October atThe Capitol Hotel Tokyu, co-hosted by 17 national Chambers of Commerce from European countries and the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce.

The event gathered a large number of participants from European and Japanese companies with strong business ties, offering a fantastic opportunity to strengthen connections, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration between our regions.

Our warm thanks to the organisers for creating such a vibrant networking environment, a great reminder of the power of relationships and dialogue in global business.

The EBC attended “The Power of Equality – 50 Years Since Women in Iceland Went on Strike”, organised by the Embassy of Iceland in Japan, with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nikkei Woman Empowerment Project.

This inspiring forum marked the 50th anniversary of Iceland’s historic women’s strike, a global symbol of progress toward gender equality. The event featured reflections from leaders including H.E. Hreinn Pálsson, Ambassador of Iceland to Japan,Yōko Kamikawa, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Jón Gnarr, Member of Parliament and former Mayor of Reykjavík.

Discussions highlighted both Iceland’s remarkable achievements and the shared challenges Japan and Europe continue to face in advancing women’s participation and leadership in society and business.

The EBC also promotes these themes through its HR Committee (chaired by Dr. Tobias Schiebe) and its Sustainability Committee (chaired by Stéfan Le Dû), which both address women’s empowerment and inclusion in the workplace, among other topics.

A heartfelt thank you to the organisers for fostering such an engaging dialogue on equality and cooperation between our regions.

The EBC Defence Committee held its annual meeting with key defence stakeholders in Japan on 28 October at the EU Delegation to Japan.

The meeting brought together representatives from ALTA, METI, the EU Delegation, the European Commission, and several EU Member States’ defence and commercial attachés to exchange views on ongoing and future cooperation in the defence and security sectors.

The EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation presented the findings of its SWOT study on dual-use technologies in Japan, highlighting that deeper EU-Japan collaboration can significantly enhance resilience and foster innovation.

The European Commission’s DG DEFIS introduced SAFE (Security and Defence Action for Europe), an initiative designed to strengthen Europe’s defence capabilities through improved readiness, accelerated joint procurement, and financial support for the European defence industry. Negotiations are also underway to expand cooperation with Canada and the United Kingdom.

Discussions also addressed preparations for the upcoming Defence Industrial Dialogue, which is expected to be held in Brussels during the first half of next year.

The EBC extends its sincere thanks to all participants for their active engagement and looks forward to continuing to strengthen EU-Japan cooperation in defence and security.